The challenge for infrastructure asset managers to achieve Net Zero by 2050 is immense. It requires detailed strategic planning, clear interim targets, critical investment, transparent insight and regular reporting, as well as strong leadership and clear governance frameworks. And all of this needs to be done inside a fiduciary responsibility to seek superior long-term net returns for investors and their beneficiaries.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22David%20Neal%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20IFM%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22David%20is%20IFM%20Investors%E2%80%99%20chief%20executive%2C%20responsible%20for%20executing%20the%20firm%E2%80%99s%20strategy%20and%20delivering%20strong%20results%20for%20IFM%20Investors%E2%80%99%20clients%2C%20shareholders%20and%20staff.%20He%20leads%20IFM%E2%80%99s%20global%20business%2C%20with%20nine%20offices%20and%20four%20investment%20teams%3A%20infrastructure%2C%20debt%20investments%2C%20listed%20equities%20and%20private%20equity.%20Neal%20joined%20IFM%20Investors%20from%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20Australia%E2%80%99s%20sovereign%20wealth%20fund%2C%20which%20he%20joined%20in%202007%20as%20its%20inaugural%20chief%20investment%20officer%20before%20becoming%20the%20chief%20executive%20in%202014.%20At%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20he%20established%20the%20investment%20team%20and%20built%20and%20designed%20the%20fund%E2%80%99s%20investment%20model.%20Prior%20to%20joining%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20he%20spent%2015%20years%20with%20Willis%20Towers%20Watson%2C%20where%20he%20started%20his%20career%20in%20the%20UK.%20He%20went%20on%20to%20establish%20and%20lead%20the%20firm%E2%80%99s%20investment%20consulting%20business%20in%20Australia.%20As%20head%20of%20investment%20consulting%20at%20Willis%20Towers%20Watson%20Australia%2C%20he%20led%20the%20team%20providing%20advisory%20services%20to%20the%20Future%20Fund%20when%20it%20was%20established%20in%202006.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2245828%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdavid-neal-0a956919%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Michael%20Eisenberg%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Head%20of%20ESG%20integration%2C%20New%20York%20State%20Common%20Retirement%20Fund%20(US)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2246368%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22%22%7D%5D” title=”Speakers” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%20of%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22White%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20content%20across%20all%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20media%20and%20events.%20She%20is%20responsible%20for%20directing%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20which%20challenges%20global%20investors%20on%20investment%20best%20practice%20and%20aims%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%20retirement%20incomes.%20She%20is%20the%20editor%20of%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com%2C%20the%20online%20news%20and%20analysis%20site%20for%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20largest%20institutional%20investors.%20White%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20journalist%20for%20more%20than%2020%20years%20and%20has%20edited%20industry%20journals%20including%20Investment%20%26%20Technology%2C%20Investor%20Weekly%20and%20MasterFunds%20Quarterly.%20She%20was%20previously%20editorial%20director%20of%20InvestorInfo%20and%20has%20worked%20as%20a%20freelance%20journalist%20for%20the%20Australian%20Financial%20Review%2C%20CFO%2C%20Asset%20and%20Asia%20Asset%20Management.%20She%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Economics%20from%20Sydney%20University%20and%20a%20Master%20of%20Arts%20in%20Journalism%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Technology%2C%20Sydney.%20She%20was%20previously%20a%20columnist%20for%20the%20Canadian%20publication%2C%20Corporate%20Knights%2C%20which%20is%20distributed%20by%20the%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20and%20The%20Washington%20Post.%20White%20is%20currently%20a%20fellow%20in%20the%20Finance%20Leaders%20Fellowship%20at%20the%20Aspen%20Institute.%20The%20two-year%20program%20consists%20of%2022%20fellows%20and%20seeks%20to%20develop%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20responsible%2C%20community-spirited%20leaders%20in%20the%20global%20finance%20industry.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2245819%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Famanda-white-101a7515%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Research from Princeton University plots a Blueprint for how the US can achieve net zero emissions in the next decade showing the key is overcoming execution challenges including the infrastructure deployment and the mobilisation of capital and labour.
An opinion piece from Robert Armstrong, Financial Times: “My piece about Tariq Fancy and the case against ESG generated a great deal of mail. At least half of it was positive, mostly in the “thanks for pointing out that the emperor has no clothes” vein. A small minority made ad hominem attacks, which is even more encouraging for a journalist than praise.”
Renewable power investment continues to outperform fossil fuel investment across the globe, according to the latest research. This provides a strong signal regarding the decline of fossil fuel investment.
Economies, businesses and investors around the globe are joining the UN Race to Zero and committing to net zero 2050 targets. It is estimated that reaching net zero 2050 will require around $1-2 trillion of investment every year.
Over recent years both Phoenix and ASI have worked together extensively on developing a roadmap to integrate ESG principles into the investment management strategies which underpin the management of their assets.
The transition from the ICE age to the EV age over the coming decade will represent rapid change in most countries. But from an environmental perspective, the EV age isn’t coming fast enough.
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